5th Annual Meeting of the OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance (Vienna, Austria)

The 5th Annual Meeting of the OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance addressed an issue of central importance to most partnerships today:How can collaboration with the private sector be strengthened to deliver better and more sustainable outcomes on the labour market?

Excellent examples exist of partnerships that have established strong collaboration between business and the public sector/local community, and which have managed to contribute significantly to a more inclusive local economy. In many of them business representatives play a leading role in the collaboration process or actively support local initiatives designed in partnership.

The OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance has been established to support area based partnerships in their mission, by gathering knowledge and providing advice on the most effective mechanisms for organisations to work together, adapt policies to local needs and set up appropriate initiatives.

The 5th Annual Meeting examined some of the most advanced partnership innovations in connecting business with other stakeholders locally to generate better jobs and inclusion. It reviewed a wide array of initiatives, from the US’ pioneering approach with the Workforce Investment Boards to Denmark’s new Regional Growth Fora and the UK’s Regional Skills Partnerships and brand new Training and Employment Boards.

The forum worked to extract from these initiatives and the experience of several other countries, the lessons to apply by both policymakers and practitioners for providing a collective response from industry, government, educational institutions and community that improves economic sustainability and growth.